Falls from heights are the main cause of fatality and injury in the construction sector.
It is therefore important that RTOs and those undertaking training are aware that there are two ‘working at heights’ units of competency (UoCs) available for delivery under the NSW Smart and Skilled 'Skilling for Recovery' initiative in the Construction stream. These are:
- the Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package (CPC) UoC, CPCCCM2012 - Work safely at heights – for the building and general construction related industries;
- the Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package (RII) UoC, RIIWHS204E - Work safely at heights – for the civil construction and mining industry.
The advice from the Skills Service Organisations (SSOs) that look after the CPC and RII Training Packages is that students undertaking training targeted at the general, commercial and residential building & construction sectors should undertake training in CPCCCM2012 - Work safely at heights. This unit provides the skills and knowledge required to work safely on building and construction sites, where the worker is at risk of falling from one level of a construction build to another.
For those undertaking training targeted at the civil construction or mining industries, students should undertake training in RIIWHS204E - Work safely at heights. This unit provides the skills and knowledge required to work safely at heights in the resources and civil construction sectors, like road and rail projects.
These UoCs are not equivalent, therefore it is important that the correct unit is selected to ensure job seekers are provided with the right skills for the construction industry sector they intend to work in.
